Device for opening cigarette packages



March 26, 1940. E. LOCKER DEVICE FOR OPENING CIGARETTE PACKAGES 'FiledMarch 21, 1939 I in a I I I 4V I [rwenior Edward Zoe/[22r- Patented Mar.26, 1940 UNITED STATES DEVICE FOR OPENING CIGARETTE PACKAGES EdwardLocker, Monsey, N. Y.

Application 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for slitting or opening cigarettepackages and similar containers; for cutting cigars, and for otherpurposes, and has for its object the provision of a simple;

5 effective device by which the wrappers of packages may be slit topermit the convenient removal of the contents, or the ends of cigars maybe cut off.

At the present time cigarettes and similar articles of merchandise arecontained in wrappers of several layers, the outer ofwhich is thefamiliar transparent sheet material, an example of which is known underthe trade-name of Cellophane. The difficulty of tearing open a cigarettepackage is known to all cigarette smokers and the primary object of thisinvention therefore is to provide a simple device which will greatlyfacilitate this operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of thecharacter mentioned which can be conveniently attached to cigarettevending machines to or at cigarettecounters, in the home, or at otherlocations to permit the smoker to easily and conveniently open cigarettepackages. A further object of the invention is to provide such a devicein which the cutting instrumentality or blade shall be easily renewable,and in which the possibility of damage or injury by the blade will beprevented by a movable guard member provided with means for normallyholding it in blade-covering position.

These and other objects are accomplished by the invention hereinafterset forth and more particularly pointed out in the claims appendedhereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an embodiment of the invention isshown, Fig. l is a front elevation of the improved device; Fig. 2 is asectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of thearrows; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the guard member; Fig. 4 is asectional view through a portion of the base plate or support member;and Fig. 5 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, showing the guard raised by acigarette 0 package that is being slit.

I In the drawing, I indicates the base member or body portion of thedevice, the same being preferably in the form of a substantially flatplate of any suitable shape or outline, the same being 0 formed near oneedge with an offset Sand a bentover portion 2, said portion 2 forming achannel l4. Adapted to be clamped within the channel M is a cuttingblade it which may, if desired, be a safety razor blade of the typeillustrated, which is provided with a substantially thick back 5 March21, 1939, Serial No. 263,101

received and clamped within the channel hi and with the cutting edge 6exposed. Bolts 4 or equivalent fastening members extending through thesides of the channel operate to clamp the portion 5 of the cutting bladewithin the channel and v this distance being dependent upon the extentof the offset 3. Pivotally mounted to overlie and cover the blade i6 isa guard member 1, said memher having its upper end turned over asindicated at 8 to fit over the channeled edge 2 of the plate I The guardmember 1 is cut away as indicated at 9 to permit it to swing about itspivot ill in the manner indicated in Fig. 5.

If the plate I is mounted vertically, as indicated in Fig. 2, upon theside of a support l3, gravity will normally tend to maintain the guardmember in the operative position shown in Figs. "1 and 2 where it coversand protects the blade It. It may be found desirable however, to use atorsional spring I l of conventional character,

' mounted around the pivot ll] for the purpose of normally holding theguard member in its protective position, shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Suchspring is particularly desirable when the device is mountedhorizontally. For securing the plate I to any suitable support, thescrews 12 or other equivalent fastening means may be employed.

To open a package of cigarettes, a portion thereof being indicated at I!in Fig. 5, the package is held against the plate I at the right end ofthe same as viewed in Fig. 1, and thepackage is moved toward the left.The guard member I is provided with a rounded or curved edge I5 withwhich the package contacts as the package is moved toward the left. Thepackage upon striking the curved edge I 5 raises or swings the guardmember 1 on its pivot as indicated in Fig. 5 to enable the cutting edge6 of the blade to be brought into contact with the package and slit thesame for a relatively short distance to permit the cigarettes to betaken therefrom. As soon as the slitting operation has occurred and thecigarette package is withdrawn from the sup port, and the pressure ofthe package against the guard member I is discontinued, the guard memberI will move into protective position as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2,either under the force of gravity or under the impulse of the spring H.Since the cutting element or blade i6 is removable and replaceable, anddiscarded safety razor blades can be used if desired for this purpose,it

- will be obvious that the device may be constructed and used veryeconomically. The operation of the guard member is entirely automatic sothat the blade will be at all times covered when not in use and thepossibility of damage by the cutting edge of the blade will thus beeffectively prevented.

While I have herein described the device as being particularly adaptablefor use in slitting open packages of cigarettes. and the like,. it isobvious that the same may be efiectively used as a cigar cutter, or formany other slitting or package-opening purposes.

What I claim is:

1. An opener for cigarette packages and the like comprising, a platemember and means for attaching it to a support, means for affixing acutting blade to said plate whereby said blade is held with its cuttingedge elevated above the face of the plate, a guard member pivoted to theplate and disposed to normally cover and protect the blade, said guard'member being disposed to be swung to one side by a package that ismoved over the face of the plate and into position to be split by theblade.

2. An opener for cigarette packages and the like comprising, a platemember and means for attaching the same to a support, said plate memberhaving an edge formed with a channel, a cutting biade having one edgedisposed in said channel, means for clamping the channel on the edge ofthe cutting blade disposed within it, said channel holding the bladedisposed flatwise- 1y over the plate but slightly raised above the faceof the same whereby a package moved along the surface of the plate willbe brought: into contact with a cutting edge of the blade. and slitthereby, a swinging guard pivoted to the channel and normally disposedto extend over and cover the blade except when swung to one side of theblade by a package moved along the plate member to reach the blade forslitting thereby.

3. An opener for cigarette packages and the like comprising a basemember, a blade attached to the same and overlying but raised from oneface of the base member, a swinging guard member secured to the basemember, and means for normally holding said guard member in a positionto extend over and cover the blade, said means permitting the guardmember to be swung away from the blade by a package moved over the faceof the base member on its way to cutting position by the blade.

4. An opener for cigarette packages and the like comprising, a basemember, a blade attached to the same and overlying but raised from oneface of the base member, a swinging, channelled guard member having aportion overlying one edge of the base member and a flat portionextending over and covering the blade, means for supporting the basemember so that the guard member will normally be disposed inblade-covering position and will have an edge portion disposed in thepath of movement of a cigarette package on its way to the blade andmoved by contact with the package out of blade-coverin position.

5. An opener for cigarette packages and the like comprising, a flatplate, means for attaching the same to a support, one edge of said platebeing provided with a raised channelled portion, means for clamping thewalls of said channelled portion upon a portion or" a' cutting blade tohold the blade with its cutting edge exposed and raised above the faceof the plate whereby a package movedalong the faceof said plate will bebrought into contact with said cutting edge of the blade and splitthereby, and a pivoted guard member secured to the plate and coveringthe cutting edge of the blade when the package is moved toward the bladeto be split thereby.

6. An opener for cigarette packages and the like comprising, a platehaving a raised channelled edge portion, a cutting blade having an edgeseated within, said channel and held with its cutting edge slightlyraised from the surface of the plate, means for clamping the blade inthe channel, a pivoted guard secured to the channel, a spring forcausing said guard to be normally held to overlie the blade and protectthe cutting edge thereof, said guard having a curved edge portion forcontact with a portion of a package moved along the face of the plate tocause said guard to be moved to blade-exposing position and to permitthe package to contact with the raised cutting edge of the blade, and astop for limiting the movement of the guard in one direction.

EDWARD LOCKER.

